My Guardian Angel
by AngelNinja
Summary: As graduation day approaches, Kobayashi Daichi looks back at his relationship and adventures with Nonohara Himeko in the early 1990's, along with his plans for their future together. Daichi's perspective.


My Guardian Angel

(Disclaimer: Hime-chan no Ribbon was authored by Megumi Mizusawa. I merely borrowed her characters.)

(Kobayashi Daichi's perspective)

Young children are not the only ones who have guardian angels. And angels are sometimes sent to earth so that they could watch over you better.

It was another day of school here in University of Tokyo. As usual, I am doing my daily school routine. I'm taking jounalism and I have decided to major in photojounalism and video editing. However, today is one of my final days here so I'm busy completing my thesis. Himeko had also made it here and she is taking up computer science. Like me, she is currently devoting a lot of her time to finishing her own thesis. Yet somehow the two of us still manage to get together at least once a week. She has been my girlfriend since we were fifteen. Himeko's parents want me for her. Likewise, mine have approved her for me.

But let me tell you this: Himeko and I had a rough relationship at the start. Back at that time, I call her by her family name, Nonohara, not by her personal name. Yeah, I still remember the day she kicked me in the head when I told her she looked like a boy. You see, she was a tomboy when we were still young. To be precise, that happened in late 1992. Nine years later, I can't help but smile whenever I recall that. September 30 of that same year, I had discovered her secret. She was given a magical item, a ribbon to be exact, by the princess of the Magical Kingdom, Erika. By the way, everyone in this world has a double in the Land of Magic, and Erika is Himeko's magical world version. I also happen to have a magical world clone, that dumbass Camille who is an absolute flirt and who never considers the consequences of his actions' stupidity. However, Camille is forgivable as he is truthfully sorry whenever he does something wrong even though he deserves to be punched in the face.

But back to the main topic. I admit that I had used her ribbon's ability to make her transform into someone living in this world into my advantage. Very often, this had given both her and me a lot of pain in the ass especially when Hikaru nearly found out her secret. Hikaru had suspected Himeko possesed magical powers. One day, Hikaru and Shinoyama had set a trap for her but just as she is about to be caught, Erika came to her rescue only lose her powers for one month. For one month, Himeko had to stay in our hideout, stuck in Hikaru's form, while Erika pretended to be her. Then one day, just as Erika was about to be hit by a truck, Himeko shoved her out of the way and took the full grunt of the impact. I thought that it would be her end but Erika's father came and revived her.

That incident had made me realize that Himeko and I could get into something far greater that what we had expected. On Valentine's Day of 1993, she gave me a chocolate as a present. So did Hikaru and the other girls who have a crush on me. Yet for some strange reason, I chose to eat Himeko's chocolates. Heck, I consider those as the best tasting ones ever.

With so many other memories about the two of us, surely, not all of them are pleasant. There are also some dark times in our relationship. One of those was when my family and I had to move to Kirigaoka City. At first I didn't tell Himeko about it because I knew she would not accept that. Yet I consider it as one of the greatest mistakes I have ever done to her since it hurt her even more. Everyone in Kazetachi City Junior High had thought that they would no longer see me there. But I decided to continue studying there because I grew up in Kazetachi City and I like that place. However, the primary reason for that was because of one girl. That's right; she's none other than Himeko.

At Erika's birthday, Himeko and I nearly lost each other again because of Hikaru managed to follow us there and she wished to be married to me by throwing Erika's ribbon into the wishing fountain. Luckily, though, Erika's grandfather had managed to reverse the spell, and so the two of us are still together.

But the closest I came to losing her completely was when a fire had broken out of Gori-sensei's place. When I entered the raging inferno, I saw Himeko lying unconscious in the floor. At that moment, all I want to do is save her no matter what would happen to me. Even though I got one, long preaching from my dad, I never regret I did that. After all, it is a boy's responsibility to help a girl in distress. But what truly bugged me at that time was what Yuka had said: Himeko is the one I love. The confusion started when Himeko and I went at the park during the Christmas season. It was there she confessed to me that she loves me. For a few days I had undergone a self assessment before I finally admitted to myself that Yuka-chan was right: Himeko is the person I love with all my heart.

When Himeko finally returned the ribbon to Erika, she had let her lion doll, Pokota, to be taken by the princess to the Magical Kingdom. As days passed by, her tomboyish attitude gradually vanished. Himeko's demeanor started to become more feminine.

Five years ago, on November 12, 1996, Himeko and I met her younger self. She had told me a few days before that she had travelled to that exact day three years earlier, so I wasn't really surprised. Himeko's younger version then started to press us about the next three years. However, we told her younger self that the future is a lot better without knowing it. After Himeko's younger self had returned to 1993, Himeko and I talked about the agony that her younger self would face in the next few days of her time in 1993. But she also understood that she should not worry too much about her since the younger me would surely return for her.

Months passed by and Himeko became even more refined. Himeko's evolution is like the beauty of sakura trees blooming with flowers in spring. Just as an elegant diamond start as dull stone, Himeko began as an unrefined, headstrong tomboy and evolved into a sweet, gorgeous angel. But Himeko is not just an ordinary angel; she is now a seraph. Even I had never imagined back in my junior high days that she'll turn into the celestial wonder she is now. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Today is January 31, 2002, Himeko's twenty second birthday and I the present I have prepared for her will be one of the best she'll ever receive. I love Nonohara Himeko with all my heart and mind and I have to make her mine.

As I'm typing the last part of my thesis in my laptop, I'm also busy looking for a permanent job. Good thing dad has a friend working in a T.V. station who has secured one for me, so all I have to do is pick it up after I graduate. The truth is that I'm a working for about a year now. I'm having a part time job not because of neccesity, but because I'm saving to buy a gift fit for an angel such as her. This gift's worth is equivalent to my salary for eight months. If you're curious about my gift for her, it's none other than a diamond ring. But I know that she considers my love for her as a gift which far outweighs this jewel. So whenever Himeko asks me why I'm taking a part time job despite the fact that the allowance my parents give to me monthly is more than what I could spend in a month, I simply answer that she'll discover it later.

Last year, I had bought her a new cellphone as my birthday gift for her. Though she never had expected that, she was very grateful. Today, it's quite different; this is something concerning our future. I had asked Himeko last week where she wants to celebrate her birthday and she replied that she wants to meet me at Sanshiro pond. I think she made an excellent choice for the meeting place since Sanjiro pond is shaped like the kanji sign for heart, a visual representation of our feelings for each other.

As I wait in front of Sanshiro pond, the angel apprached me from behind. It was quite apparent that she did her best to come on time as she pants after running for some time.

"I'm sorry, Daichi, for being late!" Himeko had said to me as she recovered from exhaustion.

"You don't have to apologize for that. Actually, I prefer that you came just now." I responded to her. "Happy Birthday, Shounen!" I greeted to her as a joke while I carried her in my arms and put her in a nearby bench.

"Mou, Daichi!" she answered, obviously annoyed.

"Sorry, I think I should have greeted you 'Happy Birthday, Tenshi!' " I then complemented to her.

"Did you just call me an angel?!" she asked to me in disbelief.

I then nodded in response to her.

"Why? Are you surprised because I called you an angel for the first time?" I questioned in turn.

"Quite. But I think that is a bit too far since everyone knows that I was once a tomboy." Himeko replied.

"I'm not kidding about that, Himeko. Even some of the most elegant diamonds come from rough stones." I had said to her.

"Himeko, I want to ask you something." I continued.

"What is it?" she asked me curiously.

I felt very nervous at that instant but I knew I have to do it or else, I might really lose her. After a few seconds, I summoned all of my courage and told her my wish.

"Nonohara Himeko, will you marry me and be my wife for the rest of our lives?" I asked her as I had presented her a diamond ring. I have been saving my income just for that special gift.

I had barely finished my statement when she threw herself around me and embraced me very tight. At that moment we wanted to kiss each other's lips but we couldn't do it there because Sanshiro pond is a public place. However, she gave me the next best thing.

"I will! I will, Daichi!" Himeko whispered in my ear as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Don't cry like that. I thought that you hate to be seen by other people while you're crying." I muttered to her.

"These are tears of joy, Daichi. I'm so glad that you have finally asked me to marry you. Your wish is one of best gifts I have yet received." she retorted to me.

"Himeko, I had planned this for a long time. Ever since we got into college, I've been saving a considerable portion of my monthly allowances for the renovation of our hideout so that it will become our new home. The rest of my savings is for our wedding." I mentioned to her in complement.

I then took her hand and inserted her finger in the ring. It is just perfect for her.

"You know, you look more angelic with that ring in your finger." I told Himeko as the gem refracted the light of the setting sun.

"Thanks, Daichi. You made me really happy today." my angel answered.

The two of stood for a while, waiting for the blackness of the night to descend upon us. Afterwards, an idea came to my head. Since I now started to call Nonohara Himeko as an angel, why don't I make her appear like one?

"Himeko, can you stand over there?" I had requested my fiancée as I took my digicam from my bag. I'm sure she'll be surprised by what I'm going to do to her photograph.

"Is this fine?" she asked me in return as she stood on the point I told her.

"Yes. OK, one, two…." I had responded as I took a picture of her. A black sky full filled with the first stars of the night is definitely a perfect background for her.

"Just wait for a moment, OK." I told Himeko as I had the photograph uploaded into my laptop and edited her image. To fully bring out her angelic attributes, I added three pairs of pure white wings as the finishing touches.

"Daichi, can I see my picture?" my angel asked me after I had finished the editing.

"Sure." I replied as I showed her the image.

"Daichi, aren't you taking this angel thing too seroiusly?" Himeko said as she saw her seraphic picture.

"No, this just fits you perfectly." I answered to her.

"Daichi?" she called out to me.

"What's up, Tenshi?" I asked her.

"How do you imagine ourselves five years after we get married?" my angel asked me.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the two of us will have a child or two running around our home and making some noise." I riposted.

"So you have the same thought as Me. I'll let you decide how many children you want ourselves to have." she answered happily to me.

The two of us then chuckled at the idea of having our own kids. For the two of us, this was one of the most joyful moments in my life. Whoever said that angels only appear before young children must have been short sighted. I was already thirteen when I first saw an angel but God had only given her to me now that I'm already twenty two. But I'm very grateful that He did give me one.

Nonohara Himeko, you are and you'll always be my one and only guardian angel.


End file.
